Monday, July 13, 2009

Light from a candle- part 2

KittenColoring the kitten is pretty easy. I started with a base of YR31, added shadows with YR24, and added the stripes with E37. I also darkened the shadow areas with E37. Note that his face and the paw are the lightest parts since they are on the side closest to the candle. When I add a final background I may darken him up a bit (especially his tail) but for now I like his colors.

Bottle & MilkColoring the bottle and milk are the tricky parts. The bottle and milk are colored with B32, colorless blender, C1, C3, and a hint of Y11. Once I add the background I will add some glints of light with my opaque white.

First, I colored the bottle with B32. I colored only the edges and then I faded it out with the colorless blender (see these posts on coloring a glass of water, part 1, part 2). This makes the edges strong blue yet clear looking in the middle. At this point I would add a pale version of whatever my background color is to the inside of the bottle so you could see the floor through it. However, since I haven't chosen a background yet I will just hold off adding any color until later.

You can note that I am also trying to make the bottle darker than it would be in a bright light. I added hints of C3 to the base of the bottle and as a shadow under the kitten's paw so you can see the shape of the bottle better.

The liquid inside is NOT transparent however, it is milk, so it needs to remain white. To keep it white and to make sure you know it is not the glass jar I shadowed the liquid with my cool grays. I did this both to the milk on the floor as well as the bottle. With a white background the milk looks a little dark, but remember, our background will be dark, so having the milk kind of dark is OK.

You can see that I added some pale yellow highlights to both the milk and the bottle. This is the candlelight reflecting, so it stays yellow, but it is not as strong a yellow as the highlights on his face and arm. Once again, after I add my background I will add some white in with my opaque white to really get the shiny things to look shinier.

The final artwork now looks like this, where the boy and the cat are both lighted correctly and ready for a background.

BackgroundI keep mentioning how I am picturing the background. Here is a quick mock-up that I made in photoshop as a way of planning how my final background will look. I haven't made my background yet in real life, but I want you to get an idea of how it will change once I airbrush it. I will need to make masks and carefully plan my airbrushing. Using Photoshop is a cheater way of seeing how it will look without doing all the work (or making a mistake on something I just worked so hard on). Hopefully this week I will have a chance to show you how to actually make this background with the airbrush system.

Marianne I love your blog and I especially love the knowledge you share with all of us.I have an award for your blog called the Kreativ Award. Please go to my site to pick it up blstamper.blogspot.comYour the best.God Bless, Jeanine

About Me

I am the North American Product Director for Copic Markers, working at Imagination International, Inc. I have written 4 books on coloring with Copics in conjunction with Colleen Schaan. I used to design stamps for Our Craft Lounge. The things I post on this blog are my personal opinions or techniques I have come across over the years- I will try to give credit where credit is due. These ramblings do not necessarily reflect the general opinions of Copic Markers/Imagination International Inc.
my direct e-mail is marianne@copicmarker.com

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Copic Glossary

ABS/Airbrush System- Copic Airbrush System. Works with either a compressor or Copic aircans. Uses either Sketch or Copic Markers. 1234TroubleshootingAlcohol Markers- Copic markers are alcohol (ethanol) based dye markers, that are known for being low-odor and giving smooth, vibrant colors. Since they are a dye, they will fade in bright lights, but they are acid free on most surfaces. Anything with alcohol in it will react with these inks. Any Copic marker type is refillable with replaceable tips. They will not cause paper to pill when going over it many times, nor will they dissolve photocopies.

Color Saturation- This is the first digit on a color name. Colors that are 00's, 10's, or 20's will be more vibrant (B05, G16, R29), while colors that are in the 70's, 80's or 90's have more gray added (B95, BG78, G94) and are closer to the neutral/earthy end of the color spectrum. Note: E (Earth) markers don't necessarily follow this rule.

Color Group- A sequential group of colors within one color family with the same first digit (i.e. E30, E31, E33, E34, E35, E37, E39) where numbers ending in 0 are the lightest and 9 is the darkest, also called Natural Blending Group

Copic Certification- These are classes for teachers, store owners, or designers who want to learn techniques and advanced tips on using Copic markers, Airbrushing, etc. for papercrafting. Each class is about 7 hrs, and will be held regionally. Check here for listings of upcoming classes.

Spica Glitter Pens - also called atyou Spica pens. These fun, pigment based pens are filled with micro glass flakes, giving a very subtle, elegant sparkle. Keep stored flat, though if they are giving you troubles, try storing them point down overnite.

Various Ink- Also called Refill Ink or Re-inkers. Each bottle holds 25 cc's of ink. 322 colors available, empty bottle for mixing custom colors also available. Great for making alcohol ink effects, such as Faux Stone or covering large areas. When you see streaking in your work it's time to refill. You can refill directly from your bottle of ink, or you can use a booster needle. Try not to overfill.For refilling dry markers:Ciao- add 1 to 1.5 cc's ink Sketch- 2 cc's Copic 2-3 cc's Wide 3-4 cc's

Using this site for Classes

The content from each post is intended as tutorials and directions as well as useful information. If you would like to use these tutorials in a workshop you are more than welcome to, just give credit to this blog site and other suppliers mentioned in each post.

Thank You!

Marianne

Color Disclaimer

Colors on the screen do not match colors printed in color charts, and neither will match the marker colors in real life. To get a feel of what the colors will look like it's best if you get an actual color swatch.

To request a printed color chart, general catalog, Stamping with Copic Brochure, or Airbrushing with Copic Brochure you can e-mail orders@copicmarker.com (remember, printed charts aren't accurate)

Save a tree, get it digital!For digital copies of the above brochures please look through the Copic Library. Don't see what you need? e-mail me at marianne@copicmarker.com

Check the library also for refilling guides, airbrushing set-ups, and other useful literature.

Copic Fine Art Instructors

Click here to purchase your favorite Copic Products

Books by Marianne Walker

Shadows & Shading: A beginner's guide to lighting placementThis book is for teaching you where to accurately put shadows and highlights when coloring with any medium. Includes clear lighting guides to help you plan where to place your shadows & highlights. Distributed by Copic/Imagination International, Inc.

Copic Coloring GuideWritten by Colleen Schaan & Marianne Walker. This is a beginner book for those interested in papercrafting and learning basic techniques for using Copic Markers. Published by Annie's Attic/DRG

Copic Coloring Guide Level 2: NatureWritten by Colleen Schaan & Marianne Walker. This is is the second in the series. Learn techniques for coloring things in nature. For papercrafters. Published by Annie's Attic/DRG

Copic Coloring Guide Level 3: PeopleWritten by Colleen Schaan & Marianne Walker. This is is the third in the series. Learn techniques for coloring people, hair, and clothing. For papercrafters. Published by Annie's Publishing

Check your local store for these books, otherwise they are available at many popular online retailers.